


The shadow

by BFHwantsblood, Krysten0216Wheeler



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Bucky Barnes's Trigger Words, Gen, HYDRA programming, Kid Tony Stark, Mechanic Tony Stark, Possessive Tony Stark, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Protective Tony Stark, Teen Tony Stark, brainwashing recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-12-26 00:43:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18272348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BFHwantsblood/pseuds/BFHwantsblood, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krysten0216Wheeler/pseuds/Krysten0216Wheeler
Summary: What if the Shadows memories were really gone.This is alternate ending to If You Want Something Done Right





	The shadow

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [If You Want Something Done Right](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14977982) by [InTheShadows](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InTheShadows/pseuds/InTheShadows). 



It would also be best to wait and see how Barnes is adjusting now that the HYDRA programming is gone. Best to be around reliable resources if something goes wrong. It shouldn't. The Shadow made sure he understood everything before he proceeded with his plan. But better play cautious, at least for now.

Thoughts feeling as if they are going a thousand miles per hour, the Shadow looks at the mansion again. It is only now that he realises that the numbness that had come after the pain is still there. He wonders what it is about this location. It started as soon as he entered, but so focused on his task that he hadn't bothered taking note.

Later he will investigate, now he will watch and wait.

Not long after that, he sees Rogers return with his other two teammates. He watches Rogers check on Barnes and already he can see more progress happening. Can see how both of them relax more, how Barnes gets more human as the hours pass.  
  
The Shadow waits twenty-four hours before he moves away from the mansion. He needed more information, he will not let this numbness bring an unknown danger to them. The Shadow is to protect his Barnes. The shadow does not bring Danger to his Barnes.  
  
The information the shadow finds does not shock him, he isn’t human enough to shock but the shadow finds it useful. Howard Stark was called genius. The Shadow has been heard that he has inherited genius more than once. A young Howard Stark looks like The Shadow. Maria Carbonell Stark was Italian.  
  
The Shadow has always loved Italian. Of course, he can speak many different languages as well as any native speaker. Russian and English are the two primary languages HYDRA uses. But there was something about Italian that drew the Shadow to it. An indescribable feeling. He always classified it as unimportant and unworthy of mention.

Even when he chose to make the override code for the Asset in Italian, he never thought hard on it. It was something that felt right, so he did it. One of the few times he followed his instincts instead of his training. He has only done so rarely, but he has never been wrong. So he acted without much thought on the language he used. The words themselves were more important to him then.  
  
The puzzle came together in his mind. Before the shadow, he was the brat and before the brat, he was Anthony Edward Stark or Tony. It was easy to get Howards and his own DNA samples from the hydra data. Easy to compare and see that he was right.  
  
The shadow gathered new data as he planned. He would secure what he needed to help his Barnes.  
  
The shadow sat waiting in a nice house while he listened as the door opened and closed. Heeled shoes moved and the light was flicked on. Keys dropped as she gasped. The shadow didn’t move from his spot sitting at the kitchen table.  
  
“Who the hell are you and why are you in my house?”

His lip curled. The shadow had been right in guessing she would be perfect for the job.  
  
“I am Tony Stark, the person you implore tried to have me killed years ago. I have come to tell you that he is selling weapons under the table and offer you a job.”  
  
He gestures to the paperwork at the other end of the table.  
  
The Shadow watches the information sink in, watches as Virginia Potts makes the decision to sit down and look over the paperwork.  
  
She has fascinated the shadow for the last three days he has been watching Obadiah Stane. She doesn’t like Mr Stane, but she is climbing the company slowly. She is wasted working there. He can see how well she will do running a business. How she can take charge of a room within the first step into a room.  
  
“We should take this to the police.”  
  
“The police are Hydra, you do that you die.”  
  
It is not completely true, not all of the police are, just 89% of the top people working for the police are.  
  
She stares at him and he looks back, the shadow does not cower to anyone apart from his Barnes.  
  
“You wish me to start a new company.”  
  
“You will be seen to run the company. I can not be seen without people hunting me. I will provide for you, blueprints, tec, and the money to start by the end of the week.”  
  
The light flickers off and shadow moves silently gather papers, leaves only the business plans and gone before Miss potts can do more than stand.  
  
He has one more stop tonight and although the shadow isn't anywhere near as intimidating as his Barnes. He knows his looks will be enough.

  
Everything in the house is electric, he knows it is advertised as better security and yet it just makes it easier for the shadow.

The man he has come to see is sitting on the couch sipping a glass of wine. The shadow moves on silent feet and takes a seat. It takes a few seconds for the man to realize he is not alone.

The glass shatters as the man startles in surprise, mouth open in a gasp.

"Who the fuck are you?"

The shadow smiles as he says the words he found in a small out of the way article.

"Uncle Obi."

Eyes widened even more.

"Don't you recognize me?"

"T-Tony?"

He nods.

"That's right I was Tony before you gave me to HYDRA. They tortured me then remade me, made me faster, stronger, taught me how to torture others, but you may call me Tony."

He can almost smell the fear.

"But then they made the mistake, they allowed me to work with computers, you remember how good I was with technology, imagine what all these years I have done with that, but enough of the past let’s talk about what I want."

He sets a sheet of paper on the coffee table.

"We will start with how I don’t want your underhanded company. I just want a small portion of my inheritance. I get that and I will leave you alone."

He sees anger taking over fear and the Shadow smiles a predatory grin.

"If Hydra finds out you know about me they will kill you. I have recorded you talking with me and it will be so easy to send them a copy."

The shadow stands seeing that he can already tell that he has won.

"Thank you for doing business. I do hope that I won’t have to see you again."

A click of a button and the lights go out and the Shadow is gone like he was never there.  
  
The shadow goes back to his Barnes. In the days he was away his Barnes is much more alive, so much more than the shadow doesn’t think that his Barnes will leave. His Barnes is a human now and no matter what the shadow knows his human name before all this. The shadow is still a being that lives without being looked at.  
  
He can still follow through with his mission. He will keep his Barnes safe, keep leading anyone who wishes to hurt him away before ending them. It is always so easy to do so as the shadow.  
  
He smiles as he watches the money transfer into Miss Potts account from the one Mr Stane had transferred it to. It is so good when things go the way he predicted.  
  
The mansion is quiet except for one room. The Avengers are all in the dining room, his Barnes is laughing at some story Thor is telling. Thor always tells stories with gestures that would intrigue his people if he sat next to them. His Barnes will be safe here for the night. He will have to see about setting up better security for them as his absences grow.   
  
A simple step and he’s out of the tree and moving into the night, he has things to deliver for in the morning.

  
The shadow is finding it hard to keep his hands still, it took almost a month to get everything sorted but his first phone is making it’s way through the test fazes. Tony Industry is already doing well and now the Avengers are all going on a mission to some far away place and leaving his Barnes behind.  
  
As the jet leaves he slips from the trees and has his phone out to deal with the security. His Barnes has been going through some rough nights, human nights of guilt on what Hydra made him do and it meant that Rogers has stuck close to him, leaving no time for the shadow to go to his Barnes.   
  
The shadow finds his Barnes in the lounge room, he has a book in his hand. He wonders what his Barnes likes to read. He also wonders if his Barnes has guessed that he would come as there is a free table to Barnes’s left.  
  
The book closes and eyes look at him.  
  
“Shadow.”  
  
“Asset or Barnes?” he questions.  
  
Eyes puzzle.  
  
“I go by Bucky.” Yet the way he says it and the tone all say that he isn’t quite sure.  
  
“Barnes.” Shadow nods like he is confirming.  
  
That get’s him a smile even as he is asked. “Mission report.”  
  
“Maintenance on Arm.”  
  
His Barnes sets his arm on the armrest as the shadow moves and places his bag down on the table.  
  
He works in silence and he is preening in the relaxation between them. It is a comfort to be working as the shadow. It has been his job for so long that it almost feels wrong to not be maintaining it more often.  
  
“Where have you been Shadow?”  
  
The shadow freezes at the break in the pattern. They never talk while Maintenance is happening. Is it because his Barnes is human now or does he want more information to know he is safe.  
  
“Keeping Barnes safe.”  
  
“You’re the reason Hydra has been so busy with internal issues.”  
  
He nods and gets back to Maintenance. His Barnes is more aware of the shadows skill set then Hydra was. Hydra thought they had guarded against the shadow and he allowed them that belief. Barnes always trusted shadow could do anything with technology, almost to the point of overestimating but not as he is the shadow.  
  
He shuts the arm and packs everything away before pulling out a phone. His Barnes eyes it and watches carefully as the shadow lifts his metal pointer finger and makes it tap on the phone.  
  
The phone screen lights up.   
  
“Call or say 742369 if you need the shadow.”  
  
He sets the phone, charger platform on the table along with a bag containing all of his Barnes weapons of choice. The shadow knows his Barnes will be going on missions soon.  
  
“You could stay. The others will welcome you if you want to.”  
  
He is shaking his head before the words are finished.  
  
“I am Barnes’s Shadow, Shadows are not meant for the light.”  
  
He can see confusion and frustration, his Barnes is so human now that it almost makes the shadow want to trace those lines on the humans face. His own phone vibrates letting him know the Avengers will be here soon.  
  
The shadow heads for the door and as he opens it his Barnes speaks.  
  
“You are allowed come see me more often. Not just for Maintenance.”  
  
Has his Barnes not worked out that the shadow is only for his eyes, not even technology gets a look at him, the only exception is Miss Potts and she will be easy to deal with if the Shadow needs too.    
  
“When Barnes is by himself and the Shadow is available, the shadow will come.” He promises his Barnes before leaving.  
  
  
It is a week later that he can keep that promise and it is only because his Barnes breaks the pattern. Hitting a few buttons on his phone he slips from the trees. His Barnes tenses then relax as the Shadow joins him on his walk.  
  
“I wasn’t sure if you would show.”  
  
“The conditions were met. Did you require something.”  
  
The shadow hadn’t noticed anything and yet here was his Barnes walking around just after dinner.  
  
“Just company.”  
  
He nods, humans seem to require companionship. The shadow doesn’t, even though he finds it enjoyable when he has nothing else to do or when he feels like he needs to learn more to keep up his act.  
  
“The others questioned me about the things you left me.”  
  
He had wondered what his Barnes would say when they were discovered. There was no doubt they would be as the Black widow of the house liked to go through other peoples things. She is not very good at playing human then again none of the Black Widows were very good at it. It was one of the main flaws of them other than all being basic copies of each other which makes them so predictable.  
  
“I told them an old acquaintance got them for me.”  
  
He feels light at being called that at being recognized that he has known his Barnes for a long time.  
  
“It worked till they saw the Tony phone, then they were like how that hasn’t even been released yet.”  
  
He heard the question so he answered.  
  
“The shadow is making clean money.”  
  
It was true, blood-free money had taken him longer to set up, it was harder work too and yet it was work he enjoyed. If his predictions were right he would also be in equal profits within the next two years and after that, it would require less time for him to keep it running.  
  
He had weighed it all up and then taken into consideration that Barnes was now living with the Avengers, a group known for saving people and not killing, even though they had a black widow in them. If he was ever discovered it would not work out for his Barnes if the shadow was still killing people.  
  
Not that the Shadow didn’t kill people that needed to go, he just didn’t do it for money. Keeping his Barnes safe still was his top priority.  
  
“Do you have a life out there?”  
  
What was his Barnes asking with that question? Why ask the Shadow that, the shadow was not human.  
  
“I have a way of making money.”  
  
His Barnes frowned at that.  
  
“So you don’t have people you talk to or hang out with.”  
  
“There is no need. A shadow can mimic a human but is not a human. The shadow stays out of sight and out of mind.”  
  
This was the wrong thing to say as it caused the other to stop and fully turn to him.  
  
“You are more than a shadow, don’t you remember who you were before hydra.”  
   
He takes a moment to think about how to answer. Barnes is after information, information can be dangerous but he trusts his Barnes with his life. He is nothing without Barnes.  
  
“Before becoming Barnes' shadow, the shadow was the brat of Hydra.”  
  
He watches how a spark of humour flicks across his Barnes' face at the word brat.   
  
“Before that was the human Tony Stark. Tony Stark’s memories were purged from my system prior to getting the serum. Tony Stark ceased to exist at that moment.”  
  
He was about to continue when his phone vibrated for two seconds  
  
“The shadow will see you when conditions are met next time.”  
  
He slips away, heading away from the mansion. He is long out of sight as the Black widow draws close to his Barnes.  
  
  
The shadow has been busy for the last month, planning for the next five years. Producing blueprints and prototypes of Tec that Tony industry is going to come out with. He has them all locked away in a volt that only he and Miss Potts can enter.            
   
He is working on an idea for cheaper prosthetics when his phone sounds. It actually makes a sound and that has him leaping for it.  
  
He answers it to the sound of breathing and hushed voices in the background.  
  
His fingers are already flying over the keys in front of him and screens light up. One showing the inside of the quin jet, the other one showing news channels with a just finished Avengers battle.  
  
His brain is mostly fixed on the jets camera. His Barnes is a mess. Shirt ripped, blood trickling from healing wounds and yet the worst bit of all is the arm. The arm is beyond saving, it is so warped that he isn’t sure what is missing and what isn’t.  
  
“You know my conditions, meet at your bedroom in the mansion.”  
  
The shadow hangs up the phone.   
  
His Barnes is fortunate that he is in his laboratory, it is close to the Mansion.  
  
“Lockdown in 50 seconds.”  
  
He calls out as he dashes to grab everything, it’s a tight fit to fix it all into two bags as there is quite a bit he will need for what he is planning. Slinging one bag onto his back, he picks up the other one before running up the stairs and out of the building.  
  
The shadow is annoyed when he approaches the mansion. The Avengers are still in with his Barnes in his bedroom. The shadow waits a minute and listens as Rogers argues that he is staying.  
  
He takes out his phone.  
  
Rogers falls silent as the phone sounds.  
  
“Hello.” His Barnes says and the shadow smiles.  
  
“Hello, if they stay I will gas the lot of you. If they leave now and come back before I say, I will shoot them.”  
  
Barnes laughs.  
  
“You hear that Stevie, you stay and I can’t tell you what he will do to you when we're all unconscious.”  
  
The shadow can play along with that.  
  
“Would you like facial piercings or a picture of a dick on your face?”     
  
There is a snort of laughter as Rogers storms out and the others follow.  
  
He gives it a few seconds before clearing the distance opening the window and climbing in. Crossing the room he locks the door before turning to his Barnes who is lying on a bed propped up by pillows. A table has been moved beside it. it is small but he has worked with worse.  
  
“Shadow, I never knew you had a sense of humour.”  
  
“Shadow was always good at playing human.”  
  
He moves to look over the lump of what was once the arm. It’s just as bad as he thought.  
  
“You will need a new arm.”  
  
He sets his bags down and starts pulling out things.  
  
“You have one, don’t you.”  
  
“Your shadow is always prepared. Lie flat.”  
  
Once he moves down, shadow jabs him with a needle, he gets a glare  
  
“You are mad at me.”  
  
The muscle relaxes as the drug works. It will numb the area but not knock his Barnes out.  
  
“The shadow is incapable of being mad at you.”  
  
Once he is happy with how numb it is he sets to work removing the arm.  
  
“Then who are you mad at?”  
  
“Roger’s plan was stupid. Hydra could have come up with a better plan. He is meant to keep you safe when the shadow is not there.”  
  
“Not all of us are genius like you.”  
  
He preens under the compliment even as he is still annoyed at Rogers.  
  
“The shadow will keep a better eye on you during missions.”  
  
If the shadow cannot rely on Rogers to keep him safe then the shadow will have to start upgrading his protection, luckily he is working on the main part.  
  
“The mansion will get upgrades next time everyone is out.”  
  
“You can’t just do what you wish to someone’s house.”  
  
He can hear that even though it is a protest his Barnes already knows that the shadow will do so anyway.  
  
They fall into silence, with only the sound of metal dropping into a bag and the sound of a needle into flesh when the numbing starts fading.  
  
The shadow wants to let out a sigh at the same time his Barnes groans.  
  
“The jerk just can't listen.”  
  
The shadow is already rising, he draws the curtains and then kills the lights before drawing the gun from its holster.  
  
He flicks the lock just before the handle turns. The shot goes off before the door is even a foot open and Rogers jerks back. The shadow closes the door and locks it as the super soldier falls to the hallway ground.  
  
The shadow clicks the light on and nods when he sees Barnes still lying on the bed. His heart feels light at the laughter he can see on the man’s face.  
  
“Did you just trank Stevie?”  
  
“The shadow had a word to keep, he is just lucky he is still useful and I used a tranquilliser.”  
  
The laughter did ring around the room then as the shadow got back to work. He still had quite a lot to do.  
  
It was hours later when he was just testing the arm when his Barnes spoke again.  
  
“You haven’t joined me on a walk since the first one, did I do something wrong shadow?”  
  
The shadow is shaking his head before the words are finished.  
  
“The shadow was making your new arm. It required travelling to acquire the metal for it.”  
  
The trip had taken longer than he predicted and it had left him behind on his Tony industry plans.  
  
“It is made of vibranium, the same stuff as Rogers shield. I acquired it legally.”  
  
Well as legally as blackmail is. He had managed to get pictures of Wakanda and its vibranium and then asked for enough vibranium as payment for not sending them to each of the world leaders.  
  
  
 The shadow looks up as he closes the last panel.  
  
"Wait for drugs to wear off then we will test it."  
  
He stands and moves to the door flicking off the lights he pulls out his gun and unlocks the door. He shoots with the door only just open and then waits a few moments.  
  
Carefully he opened the door and smirked as he grabbed a hold of the closest limb which just happens to be a foot and drags Rogers into the room. He isn't careful as he already knows that the super soldier will wake up with a headache.  
  
He drops the limb and closes the door and flicks the lock. He pulls out a black marker from his pocket and looks at his Barnes.  
  
"The shadow keeps his word."  
  
Bending down, he feels light at the cause of the laughter sounding around the room.  
  
  
The shadow packs up as his Barnes tries his new arm.  
  
"This is amazing."  
  
"That it is."  
  
He makes his way to the window checking his phone and finding that the rest of the Avengers are in the lounge room. He will have to go right to avoid being seen.  
  
  
“Will you come for a walk tomorrow night?”  
  
It takes only a moment for the shadow to think over his plans and rearrange them.  
  
“The shadow will see you then.”  
  
Opening the window he slips right on silent feet and is out in the tree line only a moment later.  
  
The shadow stops only just out of sight and pulls out his phone. A few buttons later and he is listening to his Barnes's phone. The shadow waits and he is rewarded for the wait by laughter an hour later.  
  
“Bucky it’s not funny, my head is killing me.”  
  
“It’s your own fault punk, I did warn you and he did too.”  
  
“I still don’t get why I couldn’t be there.”  
  
“Because he doesn’t trust you and he has every right. He doesn’t know you from a bar of soap.”  
  
The shadow finds that amusing, he has lots of data on Steve Rogers. It was enough to predict that he would still try to enter the room. It is also enough to estimate that there is a 90% chance of him not allowing the Shadow to work due to his age looks. Then there is the fact that Rogers would ruin all his plans if he was told that Hydra managed to survive their data dump.  
  
“The feeling is mutual. You won't even tell us his name.”  
  
His Barnes let’s out a sigh, though the Shadow can hear a smile behind it.  
  
“Let’s go see the others that way I’m not wasting my breath.”    
  
When Barnes takes the phone with him, he wonders if his Barnes has guessed what the shadow is doing.  
  
He hears the door open and there is a second of silence before Hawkeye and Thor start laughing. He can only just hear Bruce Banner’s quite snort.  
  
The shadow can’t resist looking into the camera. The Black widow is going for a mirror and the smirk on her face is very smug.  
  
“What are you all laughing at?”  
  
The only answer Rogers gets is the mirror getting passed to him.  
  
The shadow is very impressed with his work causing such a reaction, Rogers almost drops the mirror and his Barnes finally laughs.  
  
“I told you he doesn’t joke punk.”  
  
“How could he draw such a thing on my face.”  
  
Hawkeye manages to get his laughter under control enough to say.  
“Oh my god I have to meet him, he has such lovely creative, penmanship. I mean that dick almost looks real.”  
  
It is then that Banner chimes in.  
  
“At least it’s the picture and not the piercings.”  
  
That brings on another round of laughter.  
  
It doesn’t take too long for it all to quiet down and for the two super soldiers to take a couch together.    
  
“Are you going to tell us more about your ‘acquaintance’ or are you going to leave us in the dark?”  Hawkeye asks.  
  
“I’ll tell you a little.”  
  
He is both curious and concerned about what his Barnes will tell them.  
  
“He is like me, a former Hydra agent.”  
  
“Bucky you're not.”  
  
“I am Stevie. He like me wasn’t there of his own will, they killed the person he was before Hydra, except they fucked up while remaking him.”  
  
He can hear both the sorrow and the humour in his Barnes' voice.  
  
“When they were remaking him they had him train with me and go on missions with me. He was my back up and my… mechanic. In doing so instead of making him loyal to hydra they made him loyal to the winter soldier. Once I broke hydra’s control he left hydra and has been keeping them busy. I think he took offence at not being the brains behind my last mission.”  
  
His Barnes was right. If he had been there then the mission wouldn’t have been such a fuck up.  
  
His Barnes turned to Rogers.  
  
“He also thinks that it is your plans fault that my arm got fucked up, so watch out then.”  
  
“What?”  
  
Barnes just smiles.  
  
“I am going to ask him to visit more often but he doesn’t like to be seen. I was hoping you could all respect that and stay inside when we meet up.”  
  
There is a murmur of agreement before Banner speaks up.  
  
“How is your new arm, I can see it is not causing so much strain on your shoulder.”  
  
“Yes, it is much lighter. He did an amazing job like he always does.”  
  
He felt light enough to laugh as his Barnes praised the shadow's creation without giving anything away.  
  
Everything seemed to be going well enough, so the shadow shut down the connection and left, he had prototypes to make.    
   
When his Barnes left the mansion that night after dinner, the shadow wasn’t surprised to see the black widow at one of the windows looking out. He was the shadow not some amateur target of hers, black widows never learn.  
  
The rest of the Avengers were in the theatre room, loudly enjoying some movie called Princess Bride and he was satisfied they would stay there.  
  
He waited for his Barnes to be hidden in the trees before joining him.  
  
“Barnes.”  
  
“Hello, Shadow.”  
  
They share a nod before starting their walk.  
  
“The others are getting very curious and would very much like to meet you.”  
  
He knew they were, he also knew that it was frustrating the black widow. He would have to give them something soon and it was that very thought that had kept him up last night. He had also come up with a solution.  
  
“The shadow will meet you at the mansion for dinner tomorrow on the two conditions. One they agree that after this one time they will stop trying to find the shadow. Let the black widow know that he knows about all the questions she has been asking. Two is that the shadow is allowed to do upgrades to the protection around you.”  
  
His Barnes looks delighted, the shadow wondered if he would still be delighted at the death of the next night.    
  
“I will ask them.”  
  
The shadow nods, they walk for another thirty minutes before the shadows phone goes off with two short vibrates. The shadow feels like letting out a sigh or just going and shooting the black widow.  
  
“Natasha?” his Barnes asks.  
  
He nods.  
  
“My number is on your phone, send me a voice recording of how the conversation goes.”  
  
He could read his Barnes annoyance even as he bid farewell as the shadow disappeared from the grounds

 

Shadow watched sat at the table, the message he had gotten yesterday fit in perfectly with his plan and now it was just putting that plan into action. With a nice pair of jeans, a button up shirt and his hair done just right he managed to pull off almost looking twenty.  
  
His weaponry was both hidden and on display, his gun strapped to his leg showed that he was prepared. Where the nice stylish watch was more then it looked, same with his simple looking sneakers and that was just the easy to see ones.  
  
He wasn’t surprised when his Barnes showed up only a few moments after he had arrived.  
  
“You look comfortable?”  
  
He nods.  
  
“You wished for me to meet your team, it was not hard to plan for.”   
  
“I’m sure they are going to like you.”  
  
The shadow wasn’t sure about that but as the team was approaching he didn’t say anything, just adjusted his body language to relaxed, yet conferment. Something that fit the early twenty look he was going for.  
  
Eyes widened slightly as they entered the dining room, all of them carrying dishes of food. He guessed feeding this many high metabolism people must be a task and a half, even more so if they are not using vitamin powders to help.  
  
“Bucky you should have told us you were leaving to let your guest in.” Rogers' voice made it clear he didn’t approve of Barnes skipping out on kitchen work.  
  
Shadow wanted to shoot Rogers then and there.  
  
“Bucky is allowed to be excited about his guest. I mean he has practically been dancing around all day.” Hawkeye says.  
  
Jokes are shared and the Shadow tunes most of it out instead he turned his eyes on Bruce who has come to sit next to him. He holds out a hand and smiles.  
  
“It’s good to meet you, Dr Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I’m a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.  
  
“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage.”  
  
Banner reaches and jerks back as their hands' touch.  
  
The room falls quiet except for Rogers protest and the shadow leans forward and stares right into brown eyes that didn’t have a hint of green.  
  
“Nothing.  You've really got a lid on it, huh? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?.”  
  
The shadow is pleased with Dr Banner's smile even as he removed the shocker from his hand.  
  
“We should talk advanced English later. I’ve heard it is rude to speak a language that some people won’t know at the table.”  
  
“That sounds like a good plan?”  
  
The shadow can hear the question and chooses to still ignore it, instead, he turns to the feast in front of them.  
  
“Are we just going to let this food go cold?”  
  
He can feel his Barnes amusement and the rest of the tables at his announcement.  
  
“Yes, we should not let this feast go to waste.” Thor booms.  
  
With that, they all start in and it is Rogers that breaks the silence with a look that makes him think that he is being the bigger man.  
  
“Bucky was telling us how you want to do some upgrades to the mansion.”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“I was wondering what you had planned.”  
  
The shadow hid his amusement with a look that said are you stupid.  
  
“Upgrades.”  
  
This times his Barnes snorted at the twitch Rogers gave. Hawkeye although amused chose to save Rogers.  
  
“Will we be getting Tony phones?”  
  
The shadow thought for a moment, he hadn’t planned on it but it would make it easy to track and listen in on them.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Sweet, Bucky won't let us look at his but I’ve read about them and I have to say they sound amazing.”  
  
“They are the best on the market.” He agreed.  
  
“How did you get Barnes one?” This came from the Black Widow.  
  
“I know Miss Potts.”  
  
“You know Miss Potts the CEO of Tony Industry and she just gave you the phone.”    
  
He smirked.  
  
“Unlike you, 28th Widow, I am able to do a job without failing. I would advise your boss against another agent going to try for a job at Tony.”  
  
The Black Widows shock was shown in a minute way but if she was in the Red room she would be retraining. He grinned feeling like he was putting her in her place.  
  
 “Ombra” [shadow]

His eyes flicked to his Barnes and he resisted straining to attention at the warning.  
  
“Barnes.”  
  
"мы не выдаем истории жизни других людей здесь" [“We don’t give out other people’s life stories here.”]  
  
The tone was one full of warning, it was one that his asset would have used to give him a command.  
  
“As you wish.”  
  
The rest of the dinner was filled in with loud stories from Thor, who seemed to make it his mission to keep the night light.  
  
Once the plates were cleared away they moved to the lounge room. The shadow headed for the bar, taking the suitcase he had brought with him.  
  
“Are you making drinks?”  
  
The shadow smiled at his Barnes, it wasn’t often that he had been able to on missions, but on a stakeout or one that he could get away with it the shadow had found he liked the art of it. It also made for a good cover story as a bartender, though that was rare with his young looks.  
  
“Yes, my guess would be that Barnes would like to see Rogers drunk?”  
  
“Hell yes.”  
  
“Bucky you know I can’t get drunk.”  
  
His Barnes snorted at that.  
  
“Put your money where your mouth is. I say if you get drunk then you can’t complain for the next month when I want to go out by myself.”  
  
Rogers grinned and held out his hand.  
  
“You're on.”  
  
“Dr Banner I have some White Silver Tips Imperial tea for you.”  
  
“For me?”  
  
The shadow looked up from where he was pulling out his electric teapot.  
  
“I don’t see any other Dr Banner in the room.”  
  
He poured a water bottle in and set it to boil.  
  
Then he pulled out Avengers themed glasses along with one for his Barnes.  
  
“Widow, Hawkeye. Stick to your own glasses, there is no need to add killing an avenger on to my resume.”  
  
Then he let himself sink into the rhythm of making drinks and looked up once all of them were done. All eyes were on him.  
  
“What are you waiting for, an invite.”  
  
Thor wasted no time and his Barnes elbowed Roger.  
  
“Come on punk, I thought you said you can’t get drunk.”  
  
The shadow took that as his cue to start making the super soldiers and god the next round.  
  
 He almost laughed at the stunned look once everyone apart from Dr banner as they downed their drinks.  
  
It was only thirty minutes later that Rogers was slurring his words, the Black widow was trying to sit still in a chair but kept swaying ever so slightly, Hawkeye was laughing at anything, especially Thor who was even louder.  
   
His Barnes and Dr Banner sat at the bar watching.  
  
“Dr Banner, here is the last of it, sorry the kettle ran out of power so it is cooling so you best drink it up.”  
  
He filled up the teacup before making the last round and walking around to pass it out.  
  
“Last round to a good night, drink up all.” He called out as he started to pack up.  
  
His Barnes eyes him and he gave a blank look in return.  
  
It took a minute before the Widows eyes fixed on him and her lips moved to make words and yet were unable too.  
  
“Shadow.” His Barnes snapped out and eyes narrowing on him as he advanced.  
  
“It will not harm them.”  
  
“Mission details.”  
  
His shoulders snapped back and he stood to attention.  
  
“Protect the identity of the shadow without causing permanent harm.”  
  
Moving slowly as to telegraph his movements he rounded to the black widow and cupped her face so it was looking at him.  
  
“When you think of me, you will remember a man slimmer then James Barnes and yet looks like him. He moves like a snake ready to strike and you do not want to anger him by looking for him.”  
  
He moves her back and closes her eyes. She gives one last stubborn rise of the eyes lids before they fall shut.  
  
The shadow then repeats the process on the rest of the Avengers except he gives a different description to each.   
  
His Barnes is standing there, alcohol already filtering out of his system.  
  
“Shadow you didn’t have to do this.”  
  
“The shadow must remain unknown if he is to go after hydra.”  
  
“You can trust them.”  
  
“The shadow trusts no one with information.”  
  
“What about me?”  
  
“Barnes and the shadow work well because Barnes is on site and the shadow is information. The shadow trusts Barnes with his life and in return, the Shadow keeps Barnes safe.”  
  
His Barnes lets out a sigh.  
  
“You know I could just tell them.”  
  
“Barnes would not break the shadows trust like that, not when Barnes will lose more than he would gain.”  
  
Barnes eyes narrow.  
  
“Are you saying you would kill them if I told them.”  
  
“No as then Barnes would not allow the shadow to protect him.”  
  
“Then what.”  
  
“Barnes is trying to get the shadow to interact with people. If Barnes tells about the identity of the shadow then the shadow will simply stop seeing Barnes and protect him only from a distance. If arm maintenance is required then the shadow will just dart or gas Barnes and perform maintenance in his sleep. The shadow is well advanced with working from the shadows.”    
  
The shadow tried not to look smug when everything in his Barnes said the shadow had won. Though even this to protect his identity didn’t feel right. Barnes was trying to be human and being human meant worrying for people.  
  
“The shadow is working on something to help him be around the Avengers without being seen.”  
  
His Barnes' eyes lit up with hope.  
  
“How long will it take.”  
  
“Estimation is between four to six days.”   
  
“Will I still see you for night time walks.”  
  
“As long as the conditions are met.”  
  
With that, the shadow packed up.  
  
“I will see you tomorrow night.”  
  
He left the mansion and pulled out his phone.  
  
“Jarvis, are the cameras all clean?”  
  
“Yes, I hope you are happy with my work. I removed both you, your shadows and your voice from the camera. If I may say, sir, some of the leftover footage is quite amusing.”  
  
“I bet it is buddy. I’ll look them over when I get to the house.”  
  
“Very good Sir.”

* * *

 

The shadow was going to kill Rogers if his Barnes didn’t make it out.  
  
“2min 23 seconds till arrival sir.”  
  
“Barnes, left. first. Thirty. One-hundred and fifty-one. Second.Ninety-two. One-hundred and forty-two.”  
  
There came confused shouts from the rest of the Avengers but his Barnes was quite as he took the next left and was shooting without pause. The first shot was 30cm from the wall and 151cm up from the ground. The second shot sounded before the first had finished ringing.  
  
They both ignored the rest of the Avengers as his Barnes continued to follow his orders till the shadow changed pace.  
  
“Take cover, non-hostile entry.”  
  
The shadow landed with a crash and he turned his armoured gaze on his Barnes who looked at him with wide eyes.  
  
“Shadow?”  
  
“Barnes.”  
  
He nodded in hello.  
  
“This is your plan.”  
  
The shadow considers how long they have and then says into the mic.  
  
“Self destruct of building in five minutes.”  
  
The black and grey suit slinks away to be stored on a device over his heart. He slips into a chair and starts clicking buttons. A warning siren starts sounding as he gathers the data he needs.  
  
“The shadow may just kill Rogers for this. He sent you into an ambush. If the shadow hadn’t already fixed those words Hydra would have you.”  
  
He hears a growl of frustration from behind him followed by a sigh.  
  
“I know, thank you Shadow.”  
  
The shadow’s fingers don’t pause and yet he blinks in surprise.  
  
“It is the Shadows job to protect you. The shadow is now joining you on mission.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“In the suit, the Shadow will now keep you safe on missions.”  
  
“You can’t just do that.”  
  
“Of course the shadow can. Rogers has been given two chances and failed so now the shadow will step in and help you all out. The shadow will shoot Rogers if he doesn’t listen and just take over.”  
  
His Barnes snorts.  
  
Standing from the computer he lets the suit form around him before stepping over to the hole in the roof.  
  
“Time to go.”  
  
He holds out his arms and waits when his Barnes doesn’t move the shadow thinks about just grabbing him.  
  
“Step onto the boot and hold shoulders.”  
   
“You know you should invite me to dinner before taking me for a ride.” His Barnes says as he steps up.  
  
“I’ve brought you dinner lots of times. I’ve also been inside you.”  
  
That gets a snort.  
  
“Hurry up and get us out of here.”  
  
“Yes, sir.”  
  
He starts up the repulsers and takes off hovering just out of the blast zone so they can watch the building collapse in on its self.  
  
He lands them out of the way and Barnes steps back with a smirk.  
  
“Thanks for the save.”  
  
The Avengers are running towards them and he takes that as his cue to get out.  
  
He’s just out of eyesight when he hears over the coms.  
  
“Who the hell was that?”  
  
“That is Iron Man, my mechanic.”  
  
Not accurate but maybe being known as that wouldn’t be too bad if he could see his Barnes more often.


End file.
